VANDREAD: Life Sent
by Norsehound
Summary: Second part of the pilot up. Hibiki is advised to leave the Melanus fleet before they attack the flagship....but he won't leave without Alice. Conclusion to the Pilot. First stage.
1. CH1 Pilot1

Vandread 

Life Sent

By Norsehound

Disclaimer: Vandread isn't mine…

---- 

Preface:

How this came to be

There are many untold stories accompanying the single, underlying tale that has already been told. These stories are many and unexplored, and already I have said the stories of the journey of the foreign warrior into the universe of Vandread; and the story of a group of men lost and found by the famous ship of them all; the Nirvana. One tale I still have yet to tell regards the events of the first stage…

I guess the first time I thought of this idea was visiting the Vandread Library where my fictions are mentioned prominently. An idea for inspiration of fiction came from the writer's blocks idea about potential stories. One of them was this idea which I will form the story premise.

I paid it little mind, but when I received the fabulous Vandread Art book I went to look for references to the fleet of Melanus, who were targeted for their skin harvesting. In addition to correct images of the Melanus Battlecruiser (Flagship) and Escort frigates, I got to have pictures of the unnamed Melanus characters- one of them was the girl who treated Hibiki's wounds and repaired his Vanguard.

While I have nearly all the Second Stage episodes, I am missing the last two DVDs to the first stage of Vandread- thinking that since most of my works would be posted in the second stage, I wouldn't need them. But perhaps this is one instance when they would have come in handy…

Still, I intend to write this with what little knowledge of the episode I have. I have the guide with me, and if I could read Japanese I would be fine, but I can't, so I have to guess. :)

And if I'm wrong in the character names please correct me…But as far as I can remember nobody in the Melanus fleet was given a name, and they weren't mentioned in the character pages of various episodes (Including spoiler-full ones)

-------------- 

Part one:

Aboard ship

Never before had Hibiki realized the generosity of this magnitude. He was in the hanger of the main Battlecruiser and flagship of the fleet. In his stay here for the time being, it had come to his knowledge that this was the 4th fleet of the Star Melanus, to which there was 'supposedly' twelve fleets- one with each Battlecruiser from each of the continents on Melanus.

As for Melanus itself…

He was told Melanus was a legend. A myth and tale fallen into the sands of time ever since the Melanus fleet departed from their home world and embarked into space in a seemingly never-ending run from the harvesters. 

He sat in the guest room right now, his arm bandaged with her bandana…

Hibiki touched the blue cloth and thought about her. 

Her, being the chief technician aboard this Battlecruiser; the _Scotia_. 

As if on cue from his mind, the girl in question entered and smiled, "There you are."

"Uhh…" Hibiki stammered.

The woman with the brown hair smiled, "Did I bother you?"  
"No…not at all…" Hibiki replied.

She opened her eyes and still smiled as she walked into the room and approached him, "Then what's the matter?"

"Nothing. I'll be fine…thanks to you."  
"It's no problem, really." She smiled and sat down beside him on the bed, "Are you feeling homesick?"

Hibiki had told the story of why he was here. Rather than being imprisoned back on the Nirvana by the hands of some crazed women, he was here…at peace…

"I'm fine," He replied, "I don't need anything…"

"You're lying." She replied.

"Er…" Hibiki looked up at her blushing, then away, "No I don't."

She giggled, then asked, "Come on, there has to be something…"  
"…Well…."

-------- 

On the bridge, a long range communication was being made.

In the distance, in a form of shimmering white lights, was the Melanus second fleet. This other fleet was lead by the Battlecruiser _Ika_, which was holding station just in visual range of the _Scotia_.

The commander of the _Scotia_ looked at the lit screen in the darkened sky bridge of his vessel at the other commander, "We could use your help Icarus, we have reason to believe there is an enemy flagship in this area."

The other commander, a man with frilled blond hair around his head replied, "I am not going to risk my fleet, Okamura, it's bad enough as it is we ran into sporadic enemies of unknown origin in the fifth region. I have my priorities, and my fleet simply cannot maintain it's vigil against these aliens and continue to patrol our flight zone. I cannot allocate the time nor resources to even think about taking on a harvester flagship…and in my opinion you're mad taking one on with that small of a fleet."

"We have to try," Okamura said in his command chair, "If we don't stand up to these harvesters, who will? We can't just simply keep running…"

Icarus leaned closer to the display, "There is a difference, Okamura, between running, and knowing when to face your enemy. Attacking a flagship with simple battle cruisers is a clear sign of defeat. Do you remember what happened at Melanus that day when our people were driven from our homes and into permanent exile? Since then we have never stopped running…and not even a dozen vessels of this size could stop the harvester fleet! I say hold on your attack on that flagship and wait for the First fleet to complete the construction of the _Tsunami_ before considering to attack that ship…at least with a Battleship we have a chance."

"I can't just allow this harvester fleet to continue to attack planets in this area. Icarus, will you help me or not?" Asked Okamura, "If we hesitate now, we'll have a repeat of what happened when we left Melanus. Our allies weren't strong enough to stop these things…and if we weren't, with the technology of our ancestors, what chance do these people do on the outskirts of the colonial boundary? Lives depend on us Icarus, we can't simply leave them behind!"

Icarus sighed on his own bridge. "I still think we should wait…at least try to hit more of their listening posts and grab attention. Taking on a harvester flagship, Okamura, is suicide. I cannot weep for you if you drive your portion of what's left of our people to their deaths…but I will weep for your people who followed you to your end."

"Icarus please!" Okamura pleaded, "We have reason to believe that there may be another ship in the area that can help us!"

"Another ship?"

"We found a survivor…a boy, from Tarak."

"Tarak? That's in the Mejere system…" Icarus replied, "I haven't heard that name in some time."

"The ship's description seems to speak wonders of what it can do!" Okamura replied, "But we don't know if they're armed…we have to protect this ship somehow, even if they don't know it. They have to reach Mejere to warn everyone in that system of the impending harvest! Are you going to allow that fleet to destroy them before they have the chance to warn their home?"

Icarus turned away from the camera in thought, then looked back at Okamura, "I have been fighting the harvesters ever since my father was killed on this same bridge and I took command. I will not repeat the same mistake he made and commit my forces to a suicidal battle. But…I will contact the others and see if we can bring in some heavier firepower for this assignment. Whatever heavy cruisers I have in my fleet aren't in any shape to assist you, and the last of our Monitors had transferred to the first fleet months ago. I can't spare you any more of my ships or supplies…I have to continue my patrol. Still, I will see if I can contact any available fleets and see if they can spare any ships to assist you."

"Thank you, Icarus."  
"But," Icarus replied, "I strongly advise you avoid that flagship's main fleet until help arrives. I still think it's suicide to even consider taking on a flagship without our battleship completed. But…Godspeed Okamura. Until we meet again."

"Icarus." Nodded Okamura. 

The transmission cut, and the distant engines of the _Ika_ turned the massive vessel. Turning with it like a massive school of fish were the frigates and damaged heavy cruisers.

"Godspeed…" Repeated Okamura as the lights of the second fleet disappeared one by one.

---- 

Hibiki was by his vanguard again making repairs as it stood there in the small and cramped hanger. Compared to the Nirvana, the hanger aboard the _Scotia_ was small but incredibly well lit. A purple Melanus fighter was in the center of the bay going over a maintenance check, and it alone seemed to take up most of the space outside the space Hibiki's vanguard was seated in.

Hibiki himself was in the cockpit testing systems. While he had no real reason to leave, he was beginning to think about staying aboard the _Scotia_ instead of returning to the Nirvana. Here he wasn't pressured and bothered by the people…in fact if anything they treated him as a guest instead of an outcast weirdo. Here he was seen as a person instead of a subject, of examination or otherwise. 

He leaned back in his cockpit. Heck, he was even getting used to the milk that was good for his skin. It had that aftertaste that wasn't so bad…

A brief memory of Dita flashed in his head, calling him 'Mr. Alien'.

"Shesh…" He said and blinked, "Won't she just leave me alone?"

"Who?" Asked a woman's voice.

Hibiki looked up to see the pretty tech smiling at him, "You're mumbling to yourself again aren't you?"  
"Well…sorta." Hibiki said. She sat down in the entry way into the cockpit of his vanguard and asked, "So you want to stay with us aboard the _Scotia?_."

"Well I was thinking about it." Hibiki replied, "After all, the Nirvana's okay and all, but I feel like a real person here. Not like some kind of…weirdo or something."  
The girl smiled at him and said, "You were treated like a weirdo on your ship?"

"Sorta." Hibiki smiled, "It's a long story, see Men and women are on separate planets…and well, the women there are weird. There's this one who keeps following me around and calling me Mr. Alien. Then there's another one who's trying to get me to combine with her fighter all the time, and the last one's just plain strange. She doesn't talk much at all!"

"Sounds like an interesting place to be." Smiled the girl.

"Uh…well…" Hibiki replied, "I feel better here."

"But the harvesters…aren't you worried about them?"

"What's the difference?" Hibiki asked, "We're still fighting them on this ship aren't we?"

The girl replied, "They're following us…"

"They're following the Nirvana too." Hibiki replied, "And they almost locked me up because I was a man. Just because I made Dita cry…"

"Dita…which one is that?"

"Er…" Hibiki replied and looked at another part of the instrumentation, "She's…just that crazy UFO woman who keeps following me around."

"Dita…well, Someday I'd like to meet her." She smiled.

Hibiki smiled back, then asked, "Er…I'm sorry,"

"What?"  
"It's just…in all this time I didn't get to know your name." Hibiki replied.

She burst out laughing, then took his hand.

"Huh?"

"My name is Alice." She replied and looked at him, then smiled, "And you're Hibiki."

"Alice…" Repeated Hibiki.

"Alice!" Called a voice.

"Oh…Torran!" Laughed Alice and waved at him.

The yellow-uniformed pilot that Alice usually stayed with smiled up at her, "Visiting our friend eh?"  
"Just talking!" Replied Alice and she leaned on the railing to talk. Hibiki looked at her form as she stood just outside the cockpit, and crestfallen he returned to his tests.

---- 

"There." Said Oda and turned from his sensor instruments, his wife-partner Meja turning with him, "Commander," Said Oda, "The flagship has been spotted."

Okamura turned, "Let me see."

Announcements were being made in a light voice in the background, but the shimming noise of the hologram was heard as the image presented itself in a tactical wire-frame display above their heads in the sky-light bridge.

They all looked up beyond the white-wire framed models filled with blue…and the distant red-lined and maroon filled colors of the models representing the enemies. The bridge was large enough to accurately show scale, where the enemy flagship appeared monstrous.

"There…" He said and turned, "Can you identify what fleet it's from?"

"Not at present time," Replied Oda, "But we can assume this is the same flagship assigned to this region some months ago. It is still showing the same energy output signature of that flagship."

"So they're done with Magdav…" Sighed Okamura, "It's a good thing we convinced them to try to flee to safety…all right, where's it headed?"

"Based on orientation it is not in any position to intercept our current fleet." Said Oda, "However, they are sensing to look for something. At this distance, the output measurement of their sensors is really high."  
"Are they looking for us?" Okamura asked.

"Uncertain." Meja spoke up, "Their sensors can probably detect us, but we are at extreme range. If they were looking for us, I think they would have changed course."

Okamura looked at the tactical display and at the model of the mammoth flagship as it continued it's slow cruising across the model of space hanging above the heads of the bridge.

Oda input, "Perhaps they are looking for Hibiki? Or his ship the Nirvana."

"The Nirvana…" Okamura said, "What makes them so special I wonder…surely they would be after one of the largest threats to their harvesting operations…"

"Maybe it's because there is some special cargo aboard the Nirvana. Sir…is it possible that there may be a Pexis signature aboard the Nirvana as well?"

Okamura looked at Oda, "Do you think so?"

"One of the current speculations about how the Harvesters track objects," Oda said, "Is by sensing their Pexis data and outrage signal. All human vessels, at least the ones of our make, have them since they were based off data in the Pexis analysis. If this is to be taken into account, we can therefore assume the Nirvana also has a Pexis signature…perhaps stronger than our own."

"A Pexis signature…stronger than our own…" Okamura repeated and looked up at the strata model, "Is it possible? Out of all the colonies we have encountered…including others that close…is it possible that there is a stronger source of Pexis? Our ancestors made it almost clear, that our colony vessels were prototypes in Pexis-class power generation. Who, other than the red harvesters, could produce stronger blue power?"

"Maybe, the source of the Pexis itself?" Oda asked.

Okamura looked back at the sensors, "The Pexis…the original Pexis…now I see…That Pexis was reported lost according to myth, correct?"

"That was said in the books sir."

"Then that means, this Nirvana, or whatever it was built from has the original Pexis…a splendid find…and a dangerous weapon indeed." Okamura said and leaned back in his chair, then ordered, "Oda, start scanning for unusual oddities in the sensor grid. Look for a ship with a stronger Pexis signature of our own…which means including the prototype either Pexis field scanners. If there is a stronger Pexis signature out there I want to know where it is."  
"At once." Oda nodded and turned to his sensors.

--- 

The food aboard the _Scotia_ wasn't as good as that of the Nirvana…but wasn't the pills of Tarak either. He was enjoying a fairly good, if not descent, meal.

Alice was there with him, and trying to cheer him up as he ate, "Hibiki…come on, you should be happy. We haven't been fighting for nearly four days now."

"Yeah…but that's not the problem." Replied Hibiki.

"Well then," She asked, "What is it?"

"Nothing…Nothing I can-" Hibiki stopped short as Torran took a seat next to Alice, and smiled, "Well I thought I'd find you here. You just can't seem to leave our guest alone can you?"

"Well a host has to be generous." Smiled Alice, "And besides, Hibiki doesn't have many friends here."

"He'll have more…of both men and women." Said Torran and smiled as he looked at Hibiki, "Wouldn't you say?"

"Yeah, I guess." Hibiki replied and sipped at the milk- though not really in the mood for it.

Alice blinked and said, "There you go again with that tone…what's really wrong?"

Hibiki didn't want to answer and instead remained quiet.

"Hibiki…"

"I don't want to talk about it." Hibiki replied and stood up, "Excuse me…"  
He disposed of his lunch, but carried the small cup of the formula and sipped at it again and he walked out.

"Well, there goes a stubborn individual…" Torran said and looked at Alice, "So…if you're free tonight…"

"I'm sorry Torran…" Alice said, "Um…I need to talk to the commander about parts….sorry…"

Torran raised his arm to let her go and watched her head for the door.

"Huh…" Replied the pilot and sipped at his milk.

--- 

The _Scotia_ was just hanging out of scanning range of the enemy flag ship. Okamura didn't want to engage the enemy flagship unless he had too, taking Icarus's words for advice. But if he had to, and that flagship turn and attack, he would retaliate.

Still, he couldn't easily dismiss the capabilities of the enemy flagship. Not much was known about these behemoths other than the destruction they could leave behind. And there was much assumption on the numbers of escorts surrounding the flagship at all times- thousands of rock pods.

Alone these rock pods were dangerous enough, and even though they were slightly weaker in firepower compared to the Melanus Frigates and escort frigates they could still produce twice as many fighters in a very short time. They also came in greater droves, which would win the battle of attrition almost instantly.

In addition to that, the cube-type robots used by the enemy were not only incredibly easy to make- but they came in swarms and seemed to wink in and out of existence with blinding speed. Their wink cannons weren't much against capital ships, but in droves could overwhelm the Melanus Wing-class Fighter pods.

The odds were almost even. The capital strength lie with the Melanus fleet, and the quality of the Melanus ships were generally even. But the harvesters had mass numbers on their side…and the mysterious weaponry of the monolithic flagship that only the dead, the harvesters, and God himself knew had for weaponry and capabilities.

It would be an interesting match, but as it stood now the Melanus fourth fleet was at a disadvantage. In this area of patrol they were equipped for base raiding and destruction- which meant heavy capital guns and little in the way of fighter screens and ECM weaponry. Most of the frigates were original base-type frigates. They were good on their own, but the FFs didn't have the defensive power of the Escort or plus variants. They would still come out on top against pods, but overwhelmed with droves of fighters.

Their only hope would be surprise. If they caught the harvesters in a bad formation they could try to concentrate the fleet's entire firepower on one point…the engines, the sides, or maybe the front. Since there was no command deck in sight, there was no clear target to shoot at. 

Supposedly, their new battleship was being fitted out with newer and upgraded cannons from an advanced and derelict research satellite found in deep space. This satellite was lost during the colonization age, and found in orbit of a dead moon abandoned. After taking what they could and stripping the base, they managed to decrypt some of the ancient earth files and come up with newer upgrades for their pulse cannons and main guns. Currently the _Scotia_ was armed with only one heavy particle cannon amidships. It took a lot of energy to fire, and during tests it propelled a ship backwards, but the firepower was large enough to destroy targets three times the size of the Battlecruiser firing the weapon.

These batteries would be the main armaments of their new battleship supposedly nearing completion in the first fleet. If this was so, then it was also true that new composite alloys and armor had been perfected for use on the warship, as well as stabilizing thrusters to offset the disadvantage of the cannon discharge.

Still…

That Battleship still wasn't done. And the only ships capable of carrying these weapons were Battlecruisers. Monitors, designed in an age before the arrival of the particle cannons were too small to house them- and would probably destroy themselves in the shock.

In the end, they would have to rely on the entire concentration of the Melanus race to destroy even one ship, or have the battleship ready for combat when they charged to defeat the harvester flagship.

All was looking grim as the picture presented itself. The Harvester Battleship still hadn't seen them, and it was now the Melanus fleet that was trailing the harvester flagship and charting it's movements. They were headed into unknown space outside their designated patrol area. In another month they would have to abandon this area and make all speed back to the first fleet's reception point to receive new orders, new maps, and new patrol zones.

Assuming they made it back alive.

But they were starting to think that they were outrunning the harvesters finally. Once they left this area of space it was likely that the harvesters would need to step up their harvesting schedule to locate them. But when the Melanus people settled in safety, they would most certainly be back with a fleet powerful enough to erase the memory of the harvesters, and if possible blast the corrupt and evil earth into nothing more than a memory.

All this still had yet to come.

And time was running out.

--- 

Hibiki was back in his Vanguard when Alice found him. After talking with the commander, she came to learn that spare parts were indeed no longer replenishable. They would have to wait to rendezvous with a supply convoy in a couple of weeks before they could use spare parts willingly again. The factory ships in the first fleet were already concentrating on finishing the assembly of the _Tsunami_, which was no small feat. And if they intended to have this battleship completed by the time the harvesters massed a strike, they would need to consolidate production- which meant the ships were on their own.

She put this all aside when she went to talk to Hibiki. He was a special case and an oddity in the Melanus fleet. They hadn't had much contact with races that far out of their spectrum…when they ran into colonies from the colony era they were usually stagnant in different places and hadn't achieved space travel or let it become forgotten in the ages long ago. Only twice did they encounter a group of colonists this far with space travel, and their ships weren't anywhere near the combat power of the Melanus fleet.

She sighed again, then asked, "Hibiki…are you okay?"

"Will you quit asking me?" He muttered in his cockpit, "I'll be fine."  
She was serious now, "You're lying to me. Can't you tell me? I'm only trying to be a good host Hibiki…and I don't like to see you down. What's the matter?"

Hibiki looked up at her and the concern in her face. He didn't want to hurt her, but he had to say what he figured for himself. He closed his eyes and said, "Why don't you go talk to Torran or something? At least he's worth your time."

Alice reeled at hearing that. So THAT was it…Hibiki…

She smiled, "You're jealous aren't you?"

"What!?" He replied.

She went serious again, "Well I suppose it's no secret that Torran and I are…well…involved." She waved a hand, "You probably knew that the first day, but coming from a Tarak and from what I've heard about them…I'm baffled you feel this way."

Hibiki hunched over in his cockpit to lean on his arm, "You're the only person who hasn't treated me weird in some way…you're the only 'normal' person I've really talked to. You're the only person…who's really nice about everything…"

"And your friends on the Nirvana aren't?" She asked then leaned forward to touch his head and gently push it up back to a position she could see him, "Hibiki…listen, even though I can't be anything more than friends it doesn't mean you have people who care about you…"

"Yeah right," Hibiki said and moved his head away from her hand, "All they wanted to do was lock me up in jail. I just barely got out of there…There's no way they'd want me back…or care about me the same way you do."

Alice gave a gasp as Hibiki retreated further into his hand.

"Is that what all this is about?" She asked, "You mean….Hibiki…."

Hibiki didn't want to say anything. He felt terrible already saying all this to Alice. But in a way, he felt that he could. Alice was outside the rules of his 'manly honor' that he had to abide by. She was an equal…more than that…

"Hibiki…" Alice replied and eased a hand over his shoulder to rub his neck, and the back part of his spine with her thumb, "Listen…it will be all right, you'll see…you'll find a way…"

Her and eased back and slowly she withdrew from the cockpit to leave Hibiki to his thoughts.

-------- 

HTML Formatting is a nightmare. No matter what I do, if I post chapters in HTML format they will have elipsis (…) and _Italics_, but they have

these

annoying

spaces between text blocks, which are uncalled for and unessisary. I appologize for anyone who's hurt their eyes while reading this ficiton.

-- 

I cut it off here. There is more written after this part, but it was a good place to stop.

This is the first part of the 'pilot' episode, so I'd like to get more feedback after the second part of the premise is done.

Thank you.


	2. CH2 Pilot2

VANDREAD

Life Sent

By Norsehound

Disclaimer: Vandread doesn't belong to me.

(Part2 is significantly larger…but ends the pilot. Read on)

========= 

CHAPTER TWO

The life sent away

Commander Okamura heard the chime in his quarters, "Come in."  
His wife Seva was out at the moment, leaving him alone in the ship to receive Oda. The other officer stepped through the entry, "You wanted to see me sir?"

"Yes, I did." Okamura said, "I was wondering about your evaluation of our position. Is it possible for us to have the remote possibly of winning this battle?"

"In our current state, only a Miracle would pull us through." Said Oda, "As Commander Icarus said, we simply do not have the firepower nor equipment to deal with the enemy fleet that big. And what makes matters worse, we don't even know the possible armaments of that flagship. If I knew what kind of weaponry that ship was using, I would be able to give you an estimate. But unfortunately I can't even give you the slightest estimated guess."

Okamura looked down at the glass table, "Then do you think it's suicide for us to take them on?"

"Not necessarily sir," Oda replied, "I say we would be at a disadvantage if we were attacked. However, if we were to somehow ambush the harvesters or some way catch them off guard, I believe it may be possible to pull it off."

Okamura thought about it as he stared into space, then said, "Perhaps if Icarus pulls through we can use his fleet as a surprise element against the harvesters. That way, if they arrive we can take out the flagship's engines with a surprise attack."  
"Ideal sir, if it's the only way to win."

"Well start running simulation programs based on the assumption the second fleet is returning with the third and the fifth. I want to have a good estimate on what kind of chance we have."  
"Sir." Nodded Oda, and then stopped at the door, "You realize Icarus may have not been able to convince any other fleets to assist us….I will also run simulations based off a mixed smaller force."

"Do that." Nodded Okamura and stared into thought as Oda left.

--- 

Just outside sensor range, the Harvester Flagship remained on it's job and was pursuing it with undying determination.

However, like an annoying memory, the force trailing the flagship refused to die and refused to leave. It was contrasting harshly in the sensor eyes…flaring white and blue in the dark red environment.

Responding from their own pods under their command and from various nerve centers all along the flagship, the operators clicked and chattered to each other electronically. Even though the insides were as organic as illustrations of the subjects of their harvest, they were still mechanical at the core.

Instruments whirred and clicked under the guidance of the robots and the ship's own consciousness as they chirped and argued for a solution to this problem. Their mission was to find the annoying ship…that vessel the Px03. That blue ship mustn't escape the defense network or allow it to leave the grid.

Especially with the cargo inside of it, hence Px03.

An inquiry on the fleet network rattled out through space like a snake rattle and the ship's community of A.I.s waited for any sort of return from the fleet network. While they did this, the local forums and chatrooms buzzed with all sorts of input from all over the ship, and the ship's own mind as they tried to find reason and ease the pain of the sensor information.

The reply came back from the network first in a wave of replies from guest A.I. interaction on other ships, patrol stations, and the closest flagships in the network. Then an official order came in from the various Flagships and in milliseconds it was decided what was to be done.

As the A.I.s fled the chatrooms and message boards to return to their ships, the nose of the Harvester flagship hummed with energy. It wasn't directed at the main particle cannon, but at the main engines…

----

Oda didn't believe it at first, but he blinked and looked at the display screen as the sensors witnessed it. He stabbed a command key, "Commander Okamura please report to the bridge…"  
"Why, what's going on?" Replied Okamura.

"The Harvester flagship apparently just flipped on it's ends sir," Oda replied, "They are headed for us."

The repeat showed the massive flagship making a high energy turn in under three seconds and the huge mass of the ship just suddenly spun it's orientation to face them. Weather this was to be shocked at or feared wasn't the issue. Right now, the most powerful alien warship known to mankind was coming for _them_.

And the fleet was headed for it, one way or another.

---

Hibiki was still in his cockpit when he heard the battle siren. It meant they were standing up to a medium level alert, and the captain's voice rang through the hanger, "This is the Captain speaking. In a matter of hours we will be engaging the enemy harvester flagship. Even though the odds are against us, there is hope in the fact that our brothers and sisters in the other fleets will arrive to assist us when we need them. I hope for our sakes that they arrive before we have to do battle with the enemy….everyone will remain at general quarters until necessary. That is all…Godspeed."

Hibiki looked down at the Vanguard's cockpit floor after he heard that. The odds weren't good…

There was the tapping of boot on metal and the ascension of stairs as Alice appeared in his field of vision and called to him, "Hibiki…."

"What?"

Alice had concern and fear on her face, "Hibiki…do you think you'll be able to take off?"

"What are you talking about?" He asked.

Alice stood in the doorway of his vanguard, "The commander sent me to suggest that you take off. This is our war, not yours."

"Heh, you're forgetting that we Tarak don't run from our battles!" Hibiki replied, "Haha, I'm going to stay to fight with you."

"Hibiki…" She said gravely, "There may not be any coming back…if you fight with us, you might loose your life. Your friends…the people you know, they'll never know what happened to you…"  
"Good." Hibiki replied, "Maybe it should stay that way."

"Hibiki…" She said and leaned forward, "It's not just that…I don't want you to die here just because of personal Honor. I want you to live…"

"Then…why don't you come with me?"

"Wha?" Her pupils dilated in shock, "I…I can't…"

"Then I can't leave either." Hibiki said, "I can't just leave the one person who's made me the happiest I've ever been in my life…" He lowered his head and said in a lower tone, "Even if she doesn't realize it…"

Alice hesitated a beat in shock…as she realized how Hibiki saw her now…

Hibiki turned his head slightly, and then said, "I'm ready to fight."

"You have to leave."  
"Not without you." He said, now with a little power in his voice, "I can't just leave without knowing your safe too."

Alice lowered herself down on a knee and reached one of her hands out to Hibiki's face, and gave a little smile, "Hibiki…no matter what, I'll always be with you, weather in spirit or in presence…"

Hibiki raised his own hand to grasp hers and said, "Alice…I can't leave without you."  
Alice lost all hope in convincing him now. "All right, then stay." She said, "If it means anything…"

'Hibiki!" Called the voice of Torran.

Alice stood up and Hibiki half-climbed out of his cockpit, "What is it?"

Torran looked up the gantry way at them and spotted Alice, "Alice?"

"Torran….um…." 

Hibiki looked at Alice for a moment, then turned to look at Torran, "What do you want?" Hibiki asked.

"The captain told me to inform you to make preparations to leave." Torran replied.

"Well you can tell your captain I'm not going anywhere without Alice." Hibiki replied.

Torran's eyes widened some, "Ah," He let out quickly, "Alice…"

"Torran…It's not my choice…"

"Oh yes it is," Hibiki replied, "I'm not leaving the fleet until you come with me!"

Torran called again, "Hibiki, this is your last chance to leave. If you don't leave now, the harvesters will know you're aboard if you wait to long to leave! Get out of here!"

"I'm part of your fleet just as much as she is!" Hibiki replied, "If she wants to stay, then I stay. There's nothing that you can say to change my mind." He snarled back.

Torran was shocked at this, and a little angry, "Fine, if you think your Tarak guts can save us all, stay then. But don't say I didn't warn you….and let me make it clear Hibiki, I knew Alice much longer than you did. Keep that in mind next time we talk in person."

Torran turned and hastily walked for the door.

"Huh." Hibiki huffed, then turned to Alice, who had her head drooping to the floor. "What's wrong?"

"I wish you didn't say that Hibiki…" She replied on the verge of crying, "I wish you didn't say that…"

Hibiki started to realize his faults, and then cast his eyes down as well.

"I have to go to my station…" She said and started to walk across the gantryway.

Then there was a chime with the captain's voice, "Would Hibiki Tokai and Alice Mai please report to the bridge at once."

Hibiki looked over at Alice halfway down the gantryway, and she looked up back at him in surprise.

Okamura didn't have time for this.

The Tactical battle maps were already showing the signs of the enemy advance. They were closing in with square determination against the Melanus fleet. And there was still no word from Icarus, the second fleet, or any other Melanus re-enforcements or any sign of this unusual space ship.

Just then the elevator came to a halt in the command room. Standing on it was Hibiki, and beside him was Alice.

"Good." Said Okamura as he stood up, "I didn't think I would need to summon you, but it seems that you're too headstrong to listen to me indirectly. Hibiki, if you want to safely leave without detection, you have to leave now. I cannot guarantee your safety if you decide to stay with us. It's more likely than not that we won't survive the day without significant casualties."

"I know that." Hibiki replied, "But I'm not leaving without Alice."

The commander raised an eyebrow, "This is new. Since when did Tarak stick out for the female species?"

Hibiki motioned a hand at Alice, "She's different. I'm not leaving the fleet without her. If she won't leave with me," He thumbed himself, "Then I'm staying right here to fight with you guys. You need all the help you can get, and I think I can make a difference out there."  
Okamura scowled at him in the dark, then stepped down from his station and approached Hibiki. There he leaned closer to Hibiki's ear to whisper, "There's next to no chance that you will survive. There's a good chance this entire fleet will be annihilated in this attack- which includes both you and Alice. If you don't leave now, then you seal your fate to death."

Hibiki moved back from the commander and looked up at him with a scowl on his face, "Oh really, well I've been fighting the harvesters too you know! We have a chance!"

"They are using a flagship." Okamura said, "A flagship to which not even we have any idea what it can do. Facing it is like facing a brick wall Hibiki…you can hit it as much as you like, but unless you do something forceful enough to blow a hole through that wall, then you can't do anything to budge it."

"Oh yeah? Then why are you attacking?" Hibiki asked, "Why aren't you just running, huh?"

Okamura looked at the ground, "Because…if we don't try to stall the harvesters, some systems of humankind in this area won't have a chance to escape. Our main fleet may be identified and tracked…the last hope for the survival of the Melanus race…will die. The first fleet is everything to us Hibiki- if the first fleet is found and destroyed all that we are will be gone. The entire memory of the Melanus race will dwindle, then die like that which Humanity itself is becoming at the hands of it's own machines. In time…the original human beings that we are…will be nothing more than a memory."

He looked at Hibiki, "That's why I want you to go. At least you have your friends that will want to see you again."

"Want to see me…and lock me up." Hibiki said with his fists quivering, "Man…I just can't seem to get away from that place can't I? I just have to strike out on my own again….I'm not going back to the Nirvana by choice. And just when I find a place where I want to stay…."

Okamura nodded once, "We can give you the locations of the other ships…but I doub't they'll remain on station when you get there. The best we can hope to give to you is the location-"

"It's not that." Hibiki replied, "Any fleet is fine…but it's Alice that I really want to stay with. She's the only person who's been really kind to me and treating me like a person. I just can't leave without her…"

Okamura blinked, "You seem so concerned about brining her along with you, or at least knowing she's safe. Your craft is only suited for one man…"

"Captain, we're closing into the enemy sensor range." Oda said.

Okamura turned, "It's either now Hibiki, or never. Are you going to leave, or are you going to stay…and possibly die with us?"

Hibiki's fists tightened, and behind him Alice saw them quiver.

"I'm not leaving until Alice comes with me. That's all I ask."

Okamura closed his eyes, then opened them to look at Alice, "Miss Mai…are you willing to go with Hibiki into deep space?"

"I…Commander, I can't just leave….uhnn…."

"I understand." Okamura replied and looked at Hibiki, "Hibiki, while it may be difficult for a man from Tarak to understand…here men and women share the same environment…and those environments allow men and women to become very entangled with one another emotionally. If you were to take Alice away there would be consequences…not just for her partner, but for her herself. She would have to suffer through being with you and not seeing the man who she…she has decided to be with. It's not saying that she doesn't like you, but she has to remain in the fleet. Your safety Hibiki, is at a higher priority than hers. At least let her be here among her people when she dies."

Hibiki's head sunk further and further as he heard this. No…it couldn't be like this…no way…

He turned around and looked at Alice, "Alice…do you really want to stay?"

Alice seemed to shrink under the attention, reeling from being under the spotlight and being forced to choose, "Hibiki I…I can't just…"

"Commander," Oda said and his shoulders slumped, "It's too late anyway. The Harvester fleet should have us on their sensors now…it would only make them curious as to why one ship would be fleeing…and give chase."

"Ah…it's too late now." Okamura said and looked at the ground, "Your fate is now tied with ours Hibiki Tokai…weather we live, or we die. It's now in God's hands."

--- 

On the way back from the bridge Hibiki was walking ahead of Alice on the way back to the hanger. Alice was quiet for the first moment, then spoke up, "Hibiki….Hibiki wait!"

She hurried to catch up to him, "Hibiki I can't make this decision so easily! Torran…Torran needs me Hibiki, just as you need your Vanguard. I can't just abandon him."  
"So then you didn't care about me at all?!" Hibiki stopped and turned to her angrily.

Alice reeled a little, then extended her hands out to take his arm, "Hibiki please…it's not that I don't care about you…it's just…"

"Yeah, right, making me all happy and everything. Now I know my place." He feed himself from Alice and started walking, "Go find Torran. I'm sure he needs some kind of briefing that you'd want to give him."

It wasn't Hibiki's anger that hurt Alice the most…it was how he was driving her to him now…and how she felt almost powerless to do anything to help Hibiki.

The price she had to pay was too high.

--- 

Torran looked up as the door opened.

"There you are," Said Torran, "I thought you would be talking with that Tarak." He replied as he grasped his flight gear from the closet.

"Torran…" Alice replied, "It's not what you think…"

"Then what is it?" Torran asked, "You spent more time with that guest than you did with me. I offered you dinner, and you refused. Alice…what can I do?"

Alice swallowed, "He wanted me to go with him…I said no…"

Torran breathed a sigh of relif, "Well good. Maybe he can learn his lessons in rejection."

"Ah…Torran!" She cried, "Hibiki hasn't known anything about a proper relationship before! He's been treated like a science experiment even in the group he came from! He ran away because the Mejere there wanted to stick him in prison! And all he asks is one thing and we can't give it to him…isn't that hard enough?"

"That one thing being you?" Torran said.

"Yes…" Alice replied and she streightened and looked at the ground, "The price is to high Torran. I can't simply drop everything and go with him…"

Torran looked at her and dropped his gear. He approached her and put both hands on her shoulders, "You made a wise choice Alice. At least now…we can be together in the end…"

"But what about Hibiki…" She said, "I'm worried about him…"

"he's a Tarak. He'll survive." He replied.

"But I want him to leave…I don't want him to die. It's a lie Torran, if we don't flee or if Hibiki doesn't leave there won't be anybody alive to talk about it…" She took a breath, "I don't want him to throw his life away…for me…"

Torran looked at her and then let her go. She looked up at him as he returned to his flight gear.

"What…what are you doing?"

"I am going to fight for you." Said Torran, "If anything it will prove that I still love you no matter what you do." He finished putting on his harness and said, "Whenever I walk out this door I always think it might be the last time I get to see you again. Now…it probably is the last time. Alice…I love you."

He didn't kiss her, but he walked out the door.

It closed silently and Alice put her hands to her face and started to cry.

--- 

Hibiki was finishing packing his things when there was a chime at the door, "Yeah what do you want?"

The door opened and Torran was standing there.

"Ah-" Hibiki gasped and then said, "So, come to beat me up before I go?"

"No." Said Torran and asked, "Are you sure you don't want to change your mind and leave? You can probably escape in all the confusion going on."

"I said I don't want to leave without Alice." Hibiki replied and looked away, "But it doesn't matter anyway, she's stuck to you like glue. There's no way I can hope to leave with her now. And anyway, I don't even know where I would go if I had her with me."

Torran looked at the boy, then said, "If you were to leave… would you…care for her?"

"Huh? Why do you ask?" Replied Hibiki.

"Just a question." Torran said, "I never knew a Tarak before in my lifetime. You're the first, Hibiki Tokai…and the last. I just want you to know, it's been an experience having you aboard. And weather you survive this or not, The Melanus people have been honored by your presence. Farewell."

He nodded to Hibiki and then walked out the door.

Hibiki watched him go, then muttered to himself, "Man…what was all that about?"

---

"Commander," Oda said, "Targets in visual range."

Okamura stood up and looked at the veiw ahead of the _Scotia_.

As the icon of death, the huge purple front of the enemy flagship with it's starred center was in the distance. Surroudning it was an asteroid field of pods, and winking lights of cubes. No doubt inside this formation are also the spinning fighters, spike balls, and whatever else the harvesters had equipped for war and harvest.

On the side of the Melanus fleet was the firepower strong enough to take out bases. On the _Scotia_ itself was the most powerful cannon in the Melanus fleet to date, and hopefully it would become useful.

"Battle stations!" Called Okamura as the sirens started to ring, "Full Battle stations!!! All personnel to stations!"

Alert sounds and reports started in the command room as someone lit up the tactical display and it showed the models of the advancing fleets. Scaled, the tiny _Scotia_ and it's icon-represented frigates were outnumbered by the Pods and massive flagship.

Doom was starting to linger over the fleet, but as the doom rose so did hope, as Oda announced, "Commander, incoming transmission!…It's Icarus! He says he is brining the fifth, sixth, twelfth and eighth fleets with him! Commander, that's enough firepower to destroy Earth itself!"

Okamura breathed, "Then we must hope and pray to hold out until they arrive. There's no escape now, the harvesters can outrun us with their fastest ships. Tactical, raise defense screens and charge main particle cannon. Helm, take us on a round course around the flagship and put us behind them for optimum fire. Operations, launch fighters."

"First wave," Called the officer, "Launching!"

The roar of the fighters was heard as the first wave erupted out into space.

"Second wave preparing," Replied the female officer next to the operations manager, "Launch time, three minutes. Hibiki's Vanguard is preparing for launch."

--- 

Hibiki raced for his Vanguard and climbed up the steps…

Only to find Alice in there.

"Alice…" He said.

"Hibiki…I came to say goodbye." She replied and stood up, "I know…that you and I could never do anything together…and I'm sorry for that…I have my duty, and you have yours…"

Hibiki lowered his head and his tone, "Yeah…"

"Well," She said and stepped out of the cockpit and handed him a vial, "Take this…"

"Huh?" He said and accepted the palm-sized thermos, "What?"

She smiled, "It's the formula we have. I thought if you had the urge to actually take care of your skin better, you can use that…even if it doesn't taste good."

"Hehe." Hibiki laughed with her and she remained on the gantry, "I'll see you off…"

"Right." He nodded and started up the systems. But as they did something triggered by the feet of the vanguard and a transmission started to play.

"What?" He asked as a screen came on and Hibiki checked the controls, "What? Locked?"

"Hibiki," Said Torran's voice, "Are you there?"

"Torran?"

In his fighter Torran smiled, "I knew you'd be there…and good timing. We have about five minutes until we're in firing range."

Hibiki looked at Alice as Torran went on, "Listen, I know…that all I've been trying to do is be a good man to his girl. It's just the way things are, you know? But I guess I came to realize that even though she's very special to me, she's even more special to you. When I go into this fight…I don't have any idea what could happen to me. I could die…I could remain alone out here…or I could survive. But whatever happens Hibiki, I would like to know that Alice is safe…just like you would. But I have to realize that if I truly loved Alice as much as you did…I would have to ask you a favor to take care of her."

"What? Torran," She called into the receiver, "I don't have to go! I can stay Torran!"

"Don't give me that." Torran replied, "You keep talking about Hibiki's ship like a vacation spot. I think you should go with him and check it out…or at least stay with him to keep company. If he really does come from a place that wants to lock him up, somebody's gotta vouch for him out there. And besides, if I live or die, my fate will come to me knowing I did the right thing for a friend… and my lover.

"Alice, Go with him. And Godspeed Hibiki, to whatever destiny lies for both of us."

"Godspeed…" Replied Hibiki, not knowing what it really meant, but it was good to say the compliment."

Then Torran signed off.

"Torran…TORRAN!!" She hollered.

"It's too late…" Hibiki replied, then reached out to take her hand, "Alice…do you want to stay or do you want to come with me?"

Alice closed her eyes tightly for a moment, then opened them and looked at him.

"I will go with you." She said simply, "If Torran wants me too…then I'm free. I'll go get my things…"

"I'm coming with you."

--- 

"Has Hibiki launched yet?"

"His vanguard is the last unit in the hanger sir….he is reporting he is in Alice's quarters packing up. She…also sends her regards, sir."

"Well," Said Okamura, "It seems she has changed her mind…or Torran has set her free. In any case, what is the estimated time?"

"Two minutes until encounter. Estimated time for re-enforcement arrival….thirty-eight minutes, fifteen seconds. There are faint readings of friendly signatures on the scopes."

"Just out of curiosity," Asked Okamura, "Any sign of that ship…the Nirvana?"

Oda turned in his seat, "None sir."

--- 

"Okay, it'll be a little cramped…"

"I can manage." She replied and took a seat on his lap. Hibiki thought of a memory of when he felt this before…with Dita…

But this was Alice. Someone far more normal, and in Hibiki's eyes far more human.

"Okay," He said and grabbed the controls, "Let's go."

The Vanguard activated under his touch and stood in the cramped bay. He landed on the catapult and said, "This is Hibiki, I'm ready to go."

The radio crackled with the commander's voice, "We're closing in on the enemy fleet. If you leave now, you'll be expected to follow."  
Hibiki gave a laugh, then said, "I'm gonna do as much damage as I can before I take off. Seems I should do something for you guys for taking Alice with me."

"We appreciate your help," Said Okamura, "But don't linger. The harvesters are effective killers…and would very much love to have both you and our officer for their own needs…for her skin, and whatever plans they have for you. Godspeed."

The catapult kicked and rocketed both Hibiki and Alice out into the endless night.

"Good luck…" Said the Commander.

--- 

"Enemy expectance in five…four…three…two…one! Battle has commenced!"

Wing fighters raced out ahead of the group and opened fire with their pulse cannons.

Cubes fell and exploded as they tried to dash for the wing fighters but were obliterated before they could get the chance.

The next wave swarmed in with wink cannons flashing in their eyes. Fighters were hit or evaded and ducked and rolled out of the way to fire back at the cubes.

Then the pods closed the distance and their weapons winked on.

Flak-like explosions burst around the fighters, but a gold humanoid shape was flying through them all.

"Hang on!" Cried Hibiki as he controlled the vanguard and rushed on the cubes screaming.

He cut through a squadron in one swing, then turned and stabbed the eye out of another when it came too close. He swung around and flung the cube into one of the open mouths of the pod- where the cube rushed for the exposed operator and killed him and blew up the pod in one strike.

"There, see!?" Hibiki chimed and started attacking more cubes to assist the fighters.

--- 

"Commander," Said Oda and nodded at the sensors, "Sensor readings coming back from the flagship…sir, it's putting out the power of a fraciton of a star… Our sensors cannot accurately measure the power output in the Flagship…they're too high to measure."

"Good God…" Said one of them.

Okamura asked, "Then can you give me an armament estimate?"

"Working…" Oda said and looked up, "Those Pods are effective flak cannons, they're shooting at our fighters."

"Any other armaments? And what's the status on the main cannon?"

"Main particle cannon nearing sixty-three percent charge and climbing. Estimated time until firing- five minutes."  
Oda shook his head, "None that I can see…wait…there's something unusua-" Oda stopped and his eyes dilated in shock.

"What is it?" Asked Okamura.

Oda spun, "Sir, the nose of that flagship is one gigantic particle beam array! I'm registering network power grids all over the nose…and charging! Oh God…Pressure decreasing on the forward facing of the flagship! Sir, that cannon is going to fire in the next three minutes!"

"HELM!" Barked Okamura, "FULL TURN! ALL speed to turning out of the way! Get us OUT OF HERE!"

The _Scotia_ started to veer left. The frigates, hearing the call also started to bank as they fired their weapons at the pods.

One frigate, burning and blistered form damaged exploded and started to mark the end of the Melanus fleet. 

--- 

Hibiki on the other hand was busy racking up more and more kills. Alice nervously hung onto her seat and tried to do her best not to get into Hibiki's way as he fought.

"Almost…"

"Hibiki, we should get out of here…"

"Just another group!"

Then Torran's voice came in, "All squadrons clear the space in front of the Flagship! There's a particle cannon discharge imminen-AHHH!!!!!"

"Torran!" Screamed Alice and the head of the Vanguard spun to see a Wing fighter missing one of it's wings and rolling as fire raged from the missing wing end and a trail of smoke following. Cubes chased it like a toy and blew it up to their satisfaction.

"No…." She gasped, her eyes small.

Hibiki relaxed it was a bad place to be too close to the ship, and started blasting out of the way.

--- 

"Oh my…God…." Oda was gasping as he saw the power readings, "Sir…the cannon….we're too late…"

"Can you discharge our gun before they can fire theirs?" Demanded Okamura.

"We can't focus the beam at this level!" Replied the operator, "The energy inside the capacitor is unstable! It would be like firing water without pressure!"

Okamura spun, "What about the re-enforcements?"

"Twenty-two minutes!"

"We're done for!"

"Pressure dropping dramatically on enemy target!"  
"Cannon…Discharging!" Screamed Oda and clung to his wife.

--- 

Hibiki witnessed the nightmare.

The cannon discharge bellowed through space in sight as the energy flowed freely from the nose of the enemy flagship and into the center of the Melanus fleet. Caught in the direct center of the beam was the _Scotia_.

Hibiki and Alice watched as the ship they had called home for the past simply vanished when the beam dissipated. The only evidence of the Melanus presence now was the remaining frigates in the area and what fighters that hadn't been finished off.

Then of course, there was Alice.

"Hibiki, we have to go!" Alice squealed.

Hibiki's rage welled in him. He had to take revenge for the fleet…

But Alice…her weight on his lap…

He had to withdraw. There was no possible way he could face that flagship. Had Alice died with it than the situation would have been different…but now Hibiki had a reason to live, and he would stick to that reason.

He turned his Vanguard and powered away as fast as possible. A group of pods spotted him leaveing, and recognizing the signature turned to follow him.

--- 

"Commander…." Said Rye, the sensor operator on the _Ika_¸ "All transmissions from the _Scotia_ have ceased. Reading a massive particle discharge…"

Icarus grew and let out a bellow of anger and rage, "Okamura! Damn it all…."

"Sir, are we going to attack the flagship?" 

"Why not," Icarus said and turned, "After all, we have to save what's left of that squadron. All forces, converge on the enemy position. All cannons charge…and prepare to fire!"

At the lead of the group was the _Ika._

Behind him was the combined firepower of five fleets of Melanus. Each had their own origional Battlecruiser from Melanus as their star unit and core of the fleet…but there were other ships present as well.

Constructed as a prototype idea before the construction of the Battleship was the famed Dreadnought of the Melanus fleet. Large bulbous sections gave the ship a wide body and stubby wings along the back. A trio of engines propelled the monster as it's gleaming white hull thrusted for the target area- and with it were clusters of the most powerful particle cannons before the discovery of the mega particle cannon. Designed shortly after the exile from Melanus, and being the only one of it's kind, the harvesters already knew this ship as the death of a many pod that came against it.

And now, aged commander Ajax was more than willing to put a flagship on the list of kills and present it to his wife. He was ready, and wasn't going to allow the Harvesters an easy time.

--- 

The Command nexuses of the flagship gave a collective sigh after the enemy menace was gone. The strongest signal of enemy opposition was destroyed, and only points and fragments and dots remained of that harsh blue light that they came to hate.

But now the growing headache of another force had appeared on the scanners, and now that the ship and it's collective A.I.s were free from concentrating to use the cannon they turned their sensors to face the new threat that approached.

And it was not good.

Whereas the late _Scotia_ was a burning, searing point of light the ship that was coming now was like a hammer blow to the skull. That, and the hundreds of other ships that were approaching.

Melanus burned into the mind-cores of the collected A.I. and flagship itself. That vessel…that was the Melanus trademark. And by the numbers that were being brought with that fleet, it seemed that even _they_ outnumbered the harvesters in this round. 

The Flag AI decided to retreat, and make it fast. The Melanus fleet could wait, at least that core was gone. But they would need to concentrate on survival if they wanted to collect the reward on Px03.

As the flagship turned the report about a spotted Px03 sub-unit was lost in the din. Having it's voice lost over the crowd of panic from the ensuing Melanus fleet, that A.I. detached his own pod and requested the help of several others to track down Px03-1b.

--- 

Hibiki felt the buckling of his Vanguard around him as the mecha suffered hits. He was fleeing, unknown to him, in the opposite direction of the advancing Melanus fleet and more or less perpendicular to the direction of the Nirvana.

"Are we going to make it?" Alice asked.

Hibiki looked at her, and replied, "I don't know. Let's get some distance from their friends before we take them on."

The Vanguard continued to weave in and out in evasion as the three pods and five open cubes advanced. With all that power now charged to the engines, the Pods couldn't open material gates and manufacture more cubes to attack.

Hibiki felt this far distance was okay enough and turned to attack.

The Cubes were caught off-guard at his sudden reversal and the leading three were destroyed almost immediately.

Hibiki kicked the next one's eye in and blew it up, then thrusted away from it and hammered the fist of Tarak into the eye of the last one.

The pods were advancing, and realizing what unit they were facing asked themselves, where was Px03-1a? Or Px03-1c for that matter? Usually this craft fought with many others, so why was it alone?

The last commander chittered to the others. This would be so simple.

The leading commander of the group moved his pod forward. He didn't need guns, if Px03a wasn't here there wasn't any fear from any seriously powerful weapons. He would ram the thing, and if that wouldn't work then he'd use his guns.

Hibiki saw the thing coming and ignited his engines to avoid the fake asteroid as it thundred by.

The other two electronically laughed at the first's folly and remote-fired their guns at Hibiki.

These came in blaster form- more accurate and you could tell where you were shooting to improve.

Hibiki dodged one blast, then the next, and continued to dodge as the first pod was swinging around.

Focusing on the targeting sensors, the A.I. operator in each pod was focused on nailing Px03-1b and getting the glory for taking down a key unit to the enemy forces.

Hibiki snickered, "Watch this!"

He roared forward between the cubes.

"Hibiki what are you doing?!" Cried Alice and she clung to Hibiki as the Vanguard passed through between both Cubes.

Being so focused and being so dumb, they fired at one another and blew each other up.

The first pod operator shrilled an electronic echo over eithernet. There was seemingly no end to the stupidity of Pod AI, even among the likes of him.

The last Pod surged forward and fired at Hibiki, not bothering to ask for re-enforcements or anything.

Hibiki weaved in and out of the fire and looked for a way to get at the enemy pod.

Then it started to open as the Operator AI remembered 'hey, I can get more cubes!'

"Hibiki look!" Shouted Alice and pointed.

A white diamond was moving on it's umbilical as it looked up at Hibiki.

The Tarak smiled, then rushed for it at blinding speed.

The Operator, realizing his mistake rushed to close the doors, but Hibiki's blade stabbed into it's head just as the door was almost closed enough to crush Px03-1b.

But the operator died as the blade sunk into it's head. As a last-resort key the self-detonation on the pod exploded- and Hibiki was at point-blank range.

A pair of screams echoed in space as Alice and Hibiki encountered a dangerous charge point-blank.

--- 

Icarus was smiling, "Well look at that, they're running!"

Cheers went up in the Melanus fleet as they saw the flagship's backside turn tail and ignite in a starburst glow. Going with it was the asteroid field and menagerie of other unusual instruments of the harvest.

Icarus then looked over at the operators, "Any sign of any survivors from the _Scotia_?"

Rye shook his head and his wife sadly looked up.

"From the fourth?"

"…Four frigates." Rye responded.

"Well at least it's better than nothing. Still, one day, that ship will tangle with humans for the last time." Icarus said, "Weather it be us or someone else…that ship is marked."

The receding glow of the harvester flagship vanished shortly after.

--- 

A great distance away from the battle two hours later, a tattered, brown humanoid figure was making cartwheels in space with it's lifeless figure. Inside were two humans…both injured.

A pair of floodlights appeared and the eyes behind them sung, "Good…lord? Hey, what do you know," Rabat said, "It's the vanguard…but shesh, what's he been through?"

Utan wooped and Rabat activated the remote crane and underside cargo hatches to receive the damaged cargo.

------- 

When Hibiki came too, he was feeling weak.

"Uh…ah…" He muttered, then blurt, "Alice!"

"So that's her name." Said the familiar voice and Hibiki sat up, "It's you."

"Yep, it's me." Rabat smirked, "Couldn't help but notice you all floaty out there in space. What are you doing so far away from home?"

"Trouble." Hibiki replied and found his arm bandaged.

"Well, can't say much explanation about treating your injuries. Your girlfreind's fine though, she got off a little better than you did. A good thing there aren't any blunt objects around the head area that she slammed into…anyway, where's that Dita girl?"

Hibiki folded his arms as best he could, "Why should I tell you? And why is it any of your buisness?"

"Hibiki?" Came a moaning sigh from somewhere in the room. Hibiki sat up to see Alice rising to seat herself on the cot, her wrist also taped up and some wounds attended to. She blinked, and saw him, "Hibiki…are we alive?"

"Yeah, but no better off." Hibiki replied and scowled at Rabat, "So what are you gonna do? Ransom us off?"

"Me? Heck no." Rabat replied, "Besides, the girl and the vanguard got worth, so what would anyone want from you?"

"I would want something…" Alice said and stood up to walk to Hibiki's side.

"Oho…" Rabat smiled, "I see…well, seems like you two were having a good time before I found you."

"Not exactly…" Alice said.

"Say, where did a pretty thing like you come from anyway?" Rabat asked.

"…Melanus."

Rabat blinked, "Whoa…a Melanus fleet girl? Shesh, you ended up with them?" He asked to Hibiki.

"Fourth fleet." Alice said sadly, "What's left…"

"Well tangling with a harvester flagship without heavy ordinance is a stupid thing." Rabat replied, "But, I guess the Melanus should know that out of everyone. So," He stood up, "I've decided to pay a little visit to the Nirvana. Even though you don't want to get back, I'm sure some people are going to be interested to know what happened to you. Might as well be a nice guy and try to tell them in person."

Rabat walked off, and Hibiki clentched his fist. "It's not gonna work…" Hibiki said and lowered his head, "It's not gonna work…"

Alice bobbed her head and then lowered it. Her fate was tied to Hibiki's now, weather she was ready or not.

--- 

It was fast.

When Rabat's ship was docked, Rabat foolishly tried to negotiate- only to be taken to the brig.

For Hibiki it was a different story.

"Get away from me!" He cried when they boarded his ship to do a search.

The suited Mejere guards tried their best to get at Hibiki, but fighting from a doorway was a good thing. Eventually they did get him though, and Alice followed them with shrilling comments.

Dita was waiting by the doorway and so was Paiway and Barnette.

"Well at least we got that pirate Rabat." Muttered Barrette, "And now for that barbarian Hibi-"

He came out, followed by Alice.

"Ah…who's that!?" Asked Dita.

"Get your hands off of him!" Alice was shrieking and trying to pull a Struggling Hibiki away. This time she succeeded and retreated with him to a corner of the landing bay and called, "You're all cold and mean! He didn't want to come back because of this, now I can see why!"

"Men are prisoners on this ship," Barnette spoke up and approached, "And since he's a man, he has to be locked up."  
Alice's eyebrows lowered, "Then tell me how we can get off this ship."

Barnette scowled. This one had strength, "There's no way off. He has to be arrested."

"Yeah right," Hibiki replied, "I'd knew you women would do something like this! I turn my back for one moment and you get all upset just because Dita started crying and it wasn't my fault!"

"It was true, the onions-!" Dita called.

"Take him to the brig." Barnette dismissed and waved a hand.

"That's enough!" Called a voice.

All heads of respect raised and saw the powerful figure of Gasconge enter the room.

"Ah…Miss Gasco!" Dita called in shock.

"That's quite enough." Gasconge said, "First you go into Rabat's ship of all places, then you drag him out and threaten him in front of a guest. Now stand down or you'll be doing your own deliveries out in the battlefield and on this ship."

The women backed in their environmental suits and stood down.

Gasconge turned and addressed Alice, "I'm sorry about all that. It seems that for some reason the hatred of guys is like a rash…infecting everyone susceptible to it."

Barnette's eyes narrowed as she heard this, but Gasco's eye turned back to Alice and Hibiki, "I guess only the level-headed ones are the only ones with the greetings around here. Stand up so I can shake your hand."

Alice did, staying by Hibiki as she extended her hooded hand and shook it with Gasconge, "Nice to meet you….I'm Alice Mai…from the Melanus Fourth fleet…the destroyed Battlecruiser _Scotia_."

"Well I'm Gasconge, ship's quartermaster. And level-head around ehre. Now, I'll take you to meet the captain."

"I'm not leaving without Hibiki." She said, "I don't want him locked up in prison while I go talk to somebody. It's bad enough he has to come back and face…this…"

Barnette's frown remained and her eyes were impartial.

"Well then," Gasconge said, "If it makes you happy, he can come with you. Anyone laying a finger on Hibiki…gets no service for three months." Gasconge finished with a lower tone of voice, "And I can talk to the captain about innaporpreate behaviors around a nice guest."

There was silence from the assembled, and Gasconge turned, "All right you two, follow me."

Hushed silence followed them as the two walked in sride behind Gasconge. Hibiki and Barnette exchnaged angry glances before Hibiki left the reception area.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

If this turns out to get decent reveiws then I'll continue on this story line in conjunction with Army. I may post an additional chapter afterwards, but if that fails then I'll remove it from FF.net.


End file.
